MANILA, Philippines--Twenty people died in a rash of road accidents in North Cotabato, Bataan and Quezon on Tuesday and Wednesday.

In North Cotabato, nine people were dead and two others were injured when the truck they were riding fell into a five-meter deep ravine and crashed into a tree in M?lang early yesterday.

In Bataan, seven people, including two Koreans, were dead while two others were hurt when their van collided with a bus in Barangay Duale in Limay town shortly before midnight on Tuesday, police said.

In Tayabas City in Quezon, four persons were killed and two others were injured in a three-vehicle smashup on the diversion road of the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Isabang on Tuesday.

M?lang Mayor Joselito Piñol said the truck, which was cruising Matalam-M?lang Highway, was on its way to Polomolok, South Cotabato, when it careened and fell into the ravine before smashing into a mahogany tree.

Most passengers of the truck were thrown off the vehicle, he said.

The seven dead in Bataan were all working for the Dong-In Group of Companies, which manufactures bags for export to Korea and Japan.

They were in a van driven by Korean Warren Shin, who tried to overtake a tricycle on the Roman Highway when it collided with the bus, police said.

In Tayabas City, SPO1 Wilfredo Martinez, Tayabas police investigator, said a truck loaded with steel bars and barbed wires lost its brakes and slammed into a car and another truck.

The driver of the first truck died on the spot while three passengers of the car were killed.

One of the car passengers died of loss of blood as rescuers lacked equipment to remove him from the wreck.

The stretch of the diversion road in Tayabas City to Pagbilao, Quezon, has now earned the tag ?killer highway,? being the site of numerous fatal accidents in the past. Carlo Agamon and Williamor Magbanua, Inquirer Mindanao; Greg Refraccion, Inquirer Central Luzon and Delfin T. Mallari Jr., Inquirer Southern Luzon